Starting device for automobiles.



J. R. MoPHERSON. STARTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1908.

925,21 6. Patented June 15, 1909.

o 1mm! 5/ 32 f5 JOHN R. MCIHERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR AUTQMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed September 21, 1908. Serial No. 454,035.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ornv R. MoPHERsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and {State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to starting devices for automobile engines.

More particularly it relates to improved apparatus for conveniently starting gasolene or other engines of the internal combustion type. Hitherto it has been customary to extend the main shaft of such engines forward so that it protrudes at the front of the vehicle to provide a clutch and hand crank at that place. In order to start the engine, the driver has to dismount and go around to the front of the vehicle and work this crank by hand. The inconvenience of thus starting makes it usual for the driver to leave the engine running while the car is stationary for any limited. period of time. This involves a waste of fuel, more or less racing of the engine and in most cases a considerable vibration, which is annoying and nerve racking to occupants of the car.

The object of the present invention is to enable the driver to start the engine conveniently without leaving his seat, thus making it convenient to have the engine silent and still while the car is stationary.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by the apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a plan of the chassis of a self-propelled vehicle to which apparatus embodying the invention is attached; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus corresponding to line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 2 on line 3--3 thereof; Fig. at is a sectional plan view of a detail on line l a of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on line of Fig. 2.

The engines E, variable speed box V. driving shaft D and differential box B may he of any ordinary or suitable construction.

A transmission shaft 10, rotatably mounted in a bearing 11. which is in turn pivotally mounted at 12 in a bracket 13 secured to the frame F, is provided at its inner end with a fixed pinion 1 1 adapted to mesh With a crown gear 15 on the fly wheel 16,, and at its outer end with the fixed bevel gear 17, adapted to mesh with bevel gear 18 fast on auxiliary shaft 20, which is supported in bearings 21, 21. The axis of the pivot on which shaft turns is perpendicular to the axis of shaft D. It is particularly to be noted that the axis of this pivot is substantially parallel to 'the direction of action on each other of pinion let and gear where they mesh together. Consequently the pivot support forms a base for the forces acting between the parts 14 and 15, because the longitudinal or axial direction of the pivot is parallel with said forces. A spring 22 normally tends to keep pinion 1 1 from meshing with crown gear 15, and would also tend to disengage the bevel gears 17 and 18, but for the fact that I place the pivot 12 nearer the latter in order that the movement necessary to disengage pinion 14 and crown gear 15 will not entirely disengage gears 17 and 18. A downwardly projecting lug on bracket 13 limits the action of spring 22.

For compelling engagement of pinion 14 and crown gear 15 I provide a foot lever 25, pivotally mounted at 26 whose center of gravity is such that its foot 27 will rest against shaft 10. Pressure on said lever forces shaft 10 to swing on pivot 12, against the action of spring 22, from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3 where it will remain While said pressure is maintained.

On auxiliary shaft are rotatably mounted two pinions 30 and 31 which carry dogs or pawls 32. controlled by springs 33. These dogs are adapted to engage with ratchets 34. rigidly secured to shaft 20 in such manner that rotation of either pinion 30 or 31 in forward direction will turn shaft 20 in the same direction: and when either pinion turns backward it will have no effect on the shaft, its dog slipping backward over the ratchet teeth. Adjacent to said pinions is a partial crown gear made up of two opposite segments 36 and 37. respectively adapted to engage with pinions 30 and 31. This segmental crown gear is pivotally mounted at 38 in a bearing 39 secured to frame F, said pivot carryingat its opposite end a rigid arm 40 adapted to serve as a handle for oscillating the segments 36 and 37 about the pivot 38. The necessary collars for maintaining the various parts against sliding on their respective shafts are clearly shown but not numbered.

A guard 41 is' secured to frame F to serve as a guide to arm 40 and also to provide yielding stops for cushioning the ordinary reciprocation. These stops, as shown, consist of spring pieces 42, 42, secured in recesses in guard 41, (see Figs. 2-, 3 and 4) whose free ends are provided with projecting lugs 43, 43 adapted to check the motion of arm 40, and to recede within openings 44, 44 in guard 41 if excessive pressure is applied as would be the case if it is desired to disengage the segments 36, 37 from the pinions 30 and 31, in which event, handle 40 would force its way by one of the stops 43 and carry the segments beyond reach of pinions 30 and 31.

It is contemplated that the handle 40 will be placed beside the drivers seat or elsewhere where it may be grasped conveniently and operated back and forth. The ratio of gearing from this handle through its segmental racks to main shaft of the engine may preferably be such that asingle swing of the lever is equivalent to a half or a whole revolution of the engine; but if preferred any other ratio may be employed as the reversal of movement of the lever does not release the operators hold upon the engine shaft-,so that shaft does not turn backward even when there is compression in the cylinder. In working the lever 40, a forward movement of the handle to the left as seen in Fig.2 will cause pinions 30 to rotate in one direction, and pinion 31 in the opposite direction. Movement of the handle in the backward direction will reverse the rotation of these pinions, individually. VVhenever either of the pinions moves in the direction to drive the engine forward its pawl or dog 32 engages in the rack and drives the engine forward. Consequently, as soon as the forward mdvement through one pawl ceases, due to reversal of the handle 40, a

ing them there until ignition occurs. Ignition drives the shafts 10 and 20 faster; racks 34 and rotate loosely under their dogs 32 and pinions 3O, 31; until the operator re leases pedal 25 thereby allowing shaft 10 to be drawn out of mesh.

In starting explosive engines there is some danger of pre-ignition, or back-firing as it is called, which gives a powerful backward impulse to the engine shaft. The shock of of its pivot, so that they oppose each other, I

form a lock against backward rotation which positively prevents the blow from communicating any motion to handle 40. In this emergency as shafts 20 and 10 cannot rotate backward the shock of the explosive is either completely balanced, or else the component in the axial direction of gear 15 will force gear 14 away from it, where these two gears are in mesh, overcoming the operators' pressure upon foot lever 25, and allowing the explosion to spend itself in rotating gear 15.

I claim 1. Apparatus of the class described comprising an engine shaft and a rotating member rigidly mounted thereon, in combination with a swinging auxiliary shaft and a ro tating member thereon adapted to engage and drive the first member and shaft; means for swinging the auxiliary shaft into such engagement; and means for rotating said driving member when so engaged; and bearings on which said auxiliary shaft swings arranged with the axis of swinging parallel to the planes of motion of the two members; whereby said bearings resist the tendency of the driving power to swing the parts out of engagement.

2. A starting device for automobile engines comprising a shaft; means to connect it with engine; two pinions loose on the shaft; a pawl and ratchet connection between them and the shaft, both pawls acting in the same direction of rotation; an oscillating gear meshing with the pinions, the pin ions being on opposite sides of the pivot thereof; and means to oscillate the gear.

3. A starting device for automobile engines comprising a shaft and means to connect it with engine; two pinions loose on the shaft; a pawl and ratchet connection between them and the shaft, both pawls acting in the same direction of rotation; an oscillating gear meshing with the pinions and a lever projecting from the gear adapted to be operated by hand, the said gear being pivoted with the pinions on opposite sides of its pivot..

4. A starting device for automobile ening such means, and means for'causing the gines comprising a driven member fast upon driving member to engage said driven the engine shaft and said shaft, in combinamember. tion with a swinging shaft, means to sup Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 17th 5 port it pivotally on an axis other thanfits i day of September, 1908.

axis of rotation, and a drivin member ast thereon adapted to engage said driven mem- JOHN 'MCPHERSON' ber, reciprocating means adapted to impart Vitnesses: continuous rotary motion to said swinging JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, l0 shaft, with an operating handle for actuat- ANNA'B. LI DSAY. 

